


I Who Am About to Die, Salute You!

by voidoffeelings



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Blood and Injury, Eventual Romance, F/F, Minor Character Death, Slow Burn, Violence, alternative universe - roman empire
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-02-08
Packaged: 2018-05-18 19:35:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5940592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voidoffeelings/pseuds/voidoffeelings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when an emperor falls in love with a gladiator that ends up being one of the best fighters the Colosseum has ever witnessed?<br/>-or -<br/>The Ancient Rome Clexa AU you never asked for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The characters used in this story do not belong to me.  
> This story takes place on Ancient Rome. I did all the research I could, but I had to make a few changes for it to fit the story.

The first time Lexa saw her, she’d been about to fight someone in order to pay the debt she had.

It all had started when her father, a farmer, had lost access to the land he worked on and therefore was unable to earn a living. When that happened, since he didn’t have any money, he entered a Nexum, in which he gave himself as collateral to the person he owned money to. When he passed away, Lexa was put into his place in the Nexum contract, and since an early age was put into a Gladiator School, for when she grew up earn money with the fights and finally pay off the debt her father was never able to.  
Lexa had started going to Trikru, the gladiator school, when she was 10, right after her dad passed away. She was mentored by Anya, a Dimachaeri Gladiator, who had trained her to also be a Dimachaeri, a lightly armored gladiator with two swords.

For 8 years, Lexa focused only on improving her fighting abilities. She didn’t make any friends, with the exception of Costia, a Thracian gladiator, who she had a relationship with, until Costia was killed during a battle. After that, Lexa closed herself even more.

Now she was minutes away from her first real fight. Tying the leather wrapper of her leg protector around her ankles, Lexa was blocking the extremely loud noises coming from the arena. The Pampa –a parade that happened before the duels- had started, hence all the noise. Animal acts, dancers and acrobats all performed to the public. The Emperor must have arrived Lexa thought as the cheering from the crowd got even louder. That meant it was time for the gladiators to line up and be ready to go the arena.

Putting on her helmet, Lexa got up and grabbed her two siccae, a small curved sword. The swords that were usually so light in Lexa’s hands –almost like a continuation of her arms- now seemed extremely heavy and awkward, like they didn’t belong in her hands. Lexa wasn’t one to be anxious, she knew anxiety wouldn’t help her accomplish anything, but her opponent, a man from the Azgeda School named Roan, was much bigger and heavily armed than her, since he was a Hoplomachi gladiator. Lexa knew she could take him; she had been training for almost a decade, and her teachers all said she was one of the best fighters the school had ever trained, but her opponent had been fighting official battles for years, unlike Lexa. She knew she had the advantage of speed, given that her armor was way lighter than his, but Roan had much more protection, in one hand making him slower than her but on the other making it more difficult for her to hit him.

As these thoughts went through Lexa head, she positioned herself in the front of the Gate of Life, an underground tunnel that connected the room they were in to the arena. There were 20 gladiators in the room, separated in two lines; by her side was Lincoln, a man who also went to the Trikru School. She had seen him training, but they never trained together, as he was an Esque gladiator – a horseman who fought with a spear. Lexa had talked to him earlier, and Lincoln had told her he would be fighting a Skikru girl named Octavia, if she remembered correctly.

As the gates were opening, Lexa took a deep breath to calm her racing heart, and grabbed her swords more tightly. As the line of gladiators started to move, the sound of the cheering and applause from the crowd only grew louder.

Coming out of the tunnel, the sun hit Lexa’s eyes, making her momentarily blind. It was a clear day without a cloud in the sky. Looking around, Lexa noticed that the arena was full. In one of the corners of the arena there was a placard marking the events of the day, giving information about the gladiators and also showing the Emperor’s response to petitions. Walking around the arena, Lexa and the other gladiators stopped in front of the Imperial Box and the Emperor.

Lexa eyes were immediately drawn to the emperor, Clarke Griffin, a girl the same age as Lexa, who had her hair back in tiny braids with only a few strands of blonde hair framing her face and a golden laurel wreath on the top of her head. Her eyes were the most beautiful color Lexa had ever seen, even from a far; she could tell they were as blue as the sky. The emperor was standing tall, wearing an elaborately draped purple toga with golden threads that only left her arms exposed. Two heavily armed guards were by her side.  
As Lexa stared at the Emperor, mesmerized by her beauty, she failed to notice that the other gladiators were kneeling in front of her, and only after a few moments did Lexa realize it and rapidly fell to her knees, ashamed. As the gladiators were shouting the usual ritual to the Emperor, screaming loudly and in unison “We who are about to die, salute you!” The Emperor was staring intently at the gladiator who seemed embarrassed and now reluctant to look her in the eye. 

Lexa could feel the Emperor eyes on her, like they were burning a hole through her helmet, and she didn’t dare to look up again, quickly rising to her feet when the ritual was finished and going back to the room to wait for her fight.

Her mind didn’t stop thinking about the Emperor until her name was announced by the editor of the gladiatorial spectacles, an old men named Dante Wallace, who financed the fights. Going back to the arena, she could hear the crowd chanting her opponent’s name, “Roan! Roan! Roan!” He had already entered the arena and was waiting in the middle of it. When Lexa was in front of him, Lexa dared to glance at the Emperor, who was looking at her with a look that Lexa couldn’t quite put a name on.  
Once again repeating the ritual chorus of “We who are about to die, salute you!” to the Emperor the gladiators begun their fight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: thanks for the reviews and for liking/following the story guys! I hope you like the second chapter, it has much more action in it. I'm sorry if the fighting scene sucks, it was my first time ever writing anything like it and it was harder than I expected. Anyways, have a good read and I hope you are having a good day <3

Lexa knew that winning this fight would be hard, especially when her opponent had more experience than her. Roan had been fighting in arenas for more than a year, while this was Lexa’s first fight. Roan had countless wins, and the public respected him, whereas Lexa was unknown to the crowd.

She takes in her opponent, trying to spot his weaknesses. His left leg is protected by a metal greave while his right arm has the protection of a leather manica. On his head lays a Galea helmet with a massive red crest ridge. As to weapons, on his left hand was small round bronze shield and a small sword, while on his right hand a lance was held. If I’m able to get close, a strike to the chest shall put him down Lexa thought. He has the advantage of being more protected but I can move faster. Her arms and legs were protected by leather wrappers and a light helmet protected her head. On each hand was a small curved sword, a siccae. Since she was more lightly armed, her movements were faster.  
With a shout from the editor of the duels, the fight begun.

The crowd was cheering louder than ever, but all Lexa could hear were the sound of Roan’s feet moving against the ground of the arena, coming her way.

Lexa faced her opponent - one of her siccae in front of her chest, the other pointing at him – waiting for him to make the first move.

Roan advanced.

Lexa stepped back, his sword connecting with her siccae.

‘¬Block it. Shove it away. Step Back.’ were Lexa’s only thoughts.

After a few moments of doing the same thing, though, the crowd was displeased with the duel; they were there to see blood, to see action. It was time to change her tactics.  
Swinging forward, Lexa’s curved sword hit his shield, taking him by surprise.

Swing, swing, swing. Two of the hits got on his sword, the last one slashing his upper left arm. Roan backed away. Lexa smirked.

The cut wasn’t so deep and quickly Roan thrust his lance forward. The movement was blocked by her sword.

They both backed away. Lexa raised her siccaes in front of her body, protecting herself. 

Roan came in her direction, running, shield in front of him.

In a second, Lexa was on the ground. He had struck her with his shield. 

Rolling to her left, Roan’s lance grazed her face. Lexa could feel the hot blood streaming down her face.

‘Focus. Remember what Anya used to say, even if it seems like it’s over there is always something you can do. You just have to focus.’ Lexa thought.

Once again rolling to her side, Lexa quickly raised her sword, sinking it on her opponent’s foot. 

As Roan grunted in pain Lexa rose to her feet, using the back of her hand to wipe the blood running down into her right eye.

Roan continued standing, but Lexa could see the discomfort on his face while he put his weight on his now bleeding foot. She was glad for the advantage.

Advancing, Lexa lashed her sword, hitting Roan’s lance. The shock of the hit sent her blade back. Roan kept forcing it and soon enough her sword fell to the ground, a couple meters away from her.

Her advantage was long gone. She moved her sword to her right hand.

Staggering forward, Roan jabbed his lance at Lexa, who easily dodged it.

‘It’s now or never. You can do this. You’ve been training for this your whole life. Go forward. Aim for the chest. Stab. It’s done.’ Lexa thought without wasting time, already moving forward.

Swinging her sword, it hit nothing but air. Swinging again it found his lance. On the third swing everything slowed down.

Her arm was high in the air when she noticed it. His small sword, located behind his shield, was coming her way.

Her left side was unprotected, since she had lost her other sword. 

Lexa tried moving away, but it was already too late. The small sword stabbed her right under her ribs.

Lexa fell down, pain spreading through her whole body. Her sword fell at her side.

She tried to stand up, but the action was useless. ‘My fight is over’ were the words going through Lexa’s head.

The most part of the crowd of the arena had their thumbs looking down, which meant Roan should finish off Lexa.

As her wound bled out, Lexa started losing consciousness. She could see the crowd, with all their thumbs turned down. She could see Roan, looking at the Emperor, waiting for her to also turn down her thumb. She couldn’t see the Emperor, but she was sure about what was going to happen next.

She waited for Roan’s lance to go through her heart.

When that didn’t happen, Lexa tried focusing her hearing, trying to listen to the crowd. They were hissing. And Roan was walking away.

Trying to understand what was happening, Lexa realized Emperor Clarke had saved her life. 

Emperor Clarke, also known as Commander of Death, given the fact that she very rarely spared any gladiators lives, had just saved her.

Lexa closed her eyes, and everything went black.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I hope you guys like the story. Please leave like and reviews, so I can know what to improve on :)  
> -Stay awesome <3


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